In this Autumn Workshop we will explore the theme of the Puella, one of the most important archetypes of the female image in the development of art and culture in the history of mankind. In the XX century the Puella complex became part of a crisis of identity about the role of women in society; with more and more women conquering relevant positions of power in the XXI century, understanding this rich and mysterious archetype can help us to direct the potential of this archetype in a healthy and creative way.

For women, the Puella Complex is said to be the equivalent of the Puer Complex for men; in popular terms, the Puella complex is the opposite of the Peter Pan complex. But as the ‘Little Prince’ tale offers and incredibly rich perspective to understanding the Puer Complex, ‘Alice in Wonderland’, written by Lewis Carroll, provides us with an astonishing tool to grasp the deep meaning of the archetype of the Puella.

‘Alice in Wonderland’, and its sequel, ‘Through the Looking Glass, the two short novels written by Carroll can be approached from many points of view; we can understand them as tales to entertain children and teach then to develop basic skills of thinking. But above all, these two little tales of strange adventures are incredibly funny, Carroll’s literary device is laughter; and the fact that most of their contents and images came from the writer’s unconscious makes them a map of the dynamics of unconscious and of the Puella archetype.